Hope, Love, and Queeromance

I woke up early from a terrible nightmare about one of my children. One where they’d committed a grievous sin that called our whole world into question. But I woke up, and I felt the familiar weight of one cat at my shoulder, and another against my shin. I heard my dog making old lady noises in the other room. And I heard the deep breathing of my husband next to me, who thankfully had a good doctor’s visit yesterday after some chest pain. All of these comforting elements were shattered the moment I picked up my phone to see what the fate of my nation would be, since it was too close to call last night. Once again, I was reminded that a large portion of my country sees a completely different version of America, one I can’t fathom as it feeds on hate and lies. 

But then I saw this tweet: 

🚨BREAKING: @JoeBiden has officially received more votes for president of the United States than any candidate in History. And the counting isn’t even finished yet. ~ Kaivan Shroff

(https://twitter.com/kaivanshroff/status/1323977345720590338?s=21)

Yes, I’m one of those people who try to see the positive. I was raised that way, y’all. However, my initial take is often the darkest one. But as I watched hours of election coverage last night, I noticed a few things. Texas…I see you. More folks voted blue in a state I’ve always associated with the deepest held beliefs that are opposite of mine. And in several races, I saw trans folks winning high-profile elections. There were a lot of firsts, like Ritchie Torres in the Bronx becoming the first gay Afro Latino elected to Congress. Locally, I saw a trans woman, Victoria Fierce, make good headway against an incumbent in a race that is typically ignored, our transit board. I watched my own daughter coach her friends on how to find out if they were registered and how to get answers they needed in another state using the multiple voting resources available online. This from a kid who used to argue with me when I told her to Google things she needed help on in class. “But my teacher should have taught me this.” “No, my child. You have the ability to find the answers you seek. You can’t always rely on others.” And that shit worked! 

But the thing that gives me the most hope is the sheer turnout. Even in a pandemic, even when some folks are terrified of leaving their houses, they did, or they made an effort to vote by mail. We did our duty and now we have a gut-wrenching wait ahead of us. And that is heart-breaking…but I can’t let it destroy my hope. Just like all the ads told us to make a plan to vote, now we must make a plan to move forward.

Like many of you, I wanted to see a blue wave last night. I wanted to see proof that there really aren’t as many people who believe the false narrative coming from the highest level of our government. I saw nearly half a nation so terrified of change and progressive ideas that they’re willing to cling to a man who feeds them terror while tearing down our rights and the progress we’ve made. 

One step forward, two steps back? Maybe. But change in this country takes a long time…too long. And it will never happen if we don’t ride this momentum that we saw in this election. Yes, there are a few old men holding onto power, but look at who’s coming up behind them. A fresh, young, diverse class of legislators who held onto their seats in the House. Once there’s a widely available and safe vaccine, more of us will crawl out of our holes and stand beside you at protests. We have to lift our young people up. They are more accepting of differences, more able to navigate a world of other than we are. Onward and upward, young people. Don’t be discouraged by an older generation—a less-educated generation—who are desperately holding onto a reality that is disappearing before their eyes. A wounded animal will fight to survive. As my mother says, this too shall pass. We’ve got to stay focused and continue to care about each other, keep hope alive, and love will win. Maybe not in this year of tragedy, but love will prevail if we fight, and if we have hope. When you look at this election from that perspective, we’ve already won. 

R.L. Merrill writes inclusive romance with quirky, relatable characters full of love, hope, and rock ‘n’ roll. You can find her at https://www.rlmerrillauthor.com and on the socials as @rlmerrillauthor. You can also find her horror-infused music reviews at https://horroraddicts.wordpress.com/author/rowritesrocknromance/